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U.S. OPEN

September 5, 2007

Nikolay Davydenko

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Once again today a rather large number of breakpoint opportunities for you. Can you feel your opponent at 15-40, Love-40, begin to feel the pressure of your service returns and your game, so much that they go for too much on the serve, double-fault, make a mistake?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: You know, like today I don't think, you know, anything about, you know, what I do. Just know every point what I did, just concentration for the next point.
If I loss my serve, yeah, I need to concentration now to returning well or just to try, you know, to win next point and next point. If I now try to think about every point, what I did before, it's like you can be crazy because many -- yeah, sometimes you play not so well or sometimes you're disappointing for some reason, you know, for easy points.
But like today in the third set, you know, losing my serve, you know, I very good returning three times break him back and, you know, finish my match. That's was lucky. By 5-4 in the third, I change my racquet by Love-15. It was a string, take very loose. Like was maybe 19, 18 kilos because I play really like already more one set and I change by new balls and I come back, you know.
Love-15, I feeling now I losing my serve if I don't changing something. I changed racquets and I just could serve and play well.

Q. You have yet to lose a set in this year's tournament. Do you feel in the tournament that your body and your mind are as strong as you've ever felt before in a two-week tournament?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: You know, if you win everything in three sets, yes, you feeling also tired, because mentally not so tired and physically also because you have always day off and you recovery for the next game.
I don't know, like Djokovic recovery every four hours, play five sets or four sets, and, you know play four or something, like five hours. It's interesting.
But for me if I play less hours is good for me.

Q. You spoke at the French Open about how late in the tournament you're beginning to lose some strength in your arm, not being able to hit the ball as hard as you want. How do you feel now after five matches here?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I tell you is like Roland Garros and US Open different surface, different balls. You know, like it's always you need to know what's the tension you need for the string because balls is here a little bit heavy and flying not so fast. You need to get loose, you know, tension for the string.
That's what's you just need good control from baseline, just feeling you have some -- I'm not so strong. I have not so much power, you know, hitting balls forehand or backhand.
Just I have I'm strong my legs, very good control from like running, you know, to the ball, just keep it control with my legs to hit ball no mistake. I think is most important now, like right now today, what I did, just running good and like hitting back.
If I see I have easy point, try to make winners.

Q. The two guys that you might face in the next round are players you haven't had the best results against before. Do you feel like you're in a different place mentally this time where you'll be able to play more consistently or better against whoever does come through that match tonight?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: You know, I always try, always try to come to this level against Federer or like against Nadal, you know. Okay, Nadal losing, but anyway, you know, you just winning Roland Garros, play very well.
That's was to come to this level, it like Djokovic now try to come, you know, to this level, like beating Federer in Montréal. That's was for me also very important.
I feel like I'm player like top 10 player. I play very well. But I'm not, you know, feeling I'm reach level to be No. 1, you know, to beat Federer or Nadal. You know, you need to be more strong. I need to be more physically strong because these guys play perfect, try to play perfect. That's why he's No. 1.
You know, if you need to beat No. 1 you need to play also perfect. You need to get body, everything to play very well, just try to play every point good.

Q. You did not beat Roger at the French Open but you played a strong match against him. Had a number of breakpoint opportunities.
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: That's was I tell you.

Q. How much difference does the surface here make in the result?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Like I losing also in every surface against Federer: of clay court, of hard court last year here also. That's was he's good player in any surface. That's was -- for me it's not like I can't beat now off clay or I can't beat him off hard court, because he make result everywhere.
I do now also not good result of grass now, of clay, you know, of hard court.
I tell already, it's like level for top 10 I feeling I am top 10 players. But I don't feel now I am top 1 or like top 2. If I feel like I already can -- if maybe once time if I beat Federer, you know, maybe mentally I know I play now much better and then confidence better and I can to be, can reach this level to high, you know, position.

Q. There's some who have said you have been one of the least noticeable top five players in quite some time. Since the events in Poland, you've been thrown into the spotlight more. Could you talk about that more a little bit? Do you prefer to fly under the radar more than is happening now?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Now nothing happen in this moment because I play US Open and I tell everything about what is happening in Sopot, you know. Everything in investigation coming now after Davis Cup. This meeting by ATP, everything, we talking later.
Everything what I do, I just now play tennis. I don't know, my manager or ATP try organize everything to talking about.
You know, for me is very important I don't, you know -- I just concentration now for my game here US Open. I try to get some points, you know, for Shanghai. I would like to stay top five in this year and like maybe better. That's was if I do good results.
That's was, you know, I don't care what's happening out there. For me it's more important what I do right now here.

Q. Is there any good reason for you to watch tonight's match against Roger and Andy?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: You know, like sometimes not because if you know he plays so good then I am disappointed what I need to do, you know, in the semifinal.
That's was if some guys hitting very well winners I don't know what I need to play, you know. It's most important my coach watch and then tell me what he didn't play good, yeah.
And every day is different. Today maybe he play backhand bad, and then against me he play unbelievable. That's was every day is different. But I look. We'll see. Okay, I have serve not like Roddick. It's be interesting match.

Q. Do you ever watch matches just for the entertainment value?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: I watch yesterday match Ferrer/Nadal. Was have he nice match. Was interesting. Ferrer beat Nadal. Was great match.

Q. Did you stay awake till the end, watch the whole thing?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: No. It's was too late already (smiling). Need to sleep also sometimes.

Q. After the game today you said to the audience that they helped out Haas because he lives in Florida, but against Federer the audience should help you out a little more. On the other hand, wouldn't you like to play better against Roddick, who would get all the help from the audience, but for the game your chances would be higher than against Federer?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yes, maybe (smiling). Yeah, that's only is the reason. Like when is the last time Roddick beat Federer? Just question for you. That's was I was tell because support me against Federer, you know, semifinal.
That's was I was so -- last time, last match, Federer, he play very well. I don't know how he play today. We'll see. If Roddick win, okay, crowd be like people to support Roddick. But maybe I have more chance. If I play against Federer, I try get people support me now.

Q. I understand you're tired of all the questions about what occurred in Poland. Do you think there is a problem with the sport that millions of dollars are spent in gambling in a one-on-one sport like tennis?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: You know, like I don't know how many, you know, sports make gambling. Normally tennis maybe make it like soccer or ice hockey. I don't know if in America doing, you know, with business.
But if people make business with this one or make gambling in any sport, you know, what I can say? It's like only problem, you know, if, you know, guys get like thinking about it is some inside sport or something like coaches or physios, you know, make with business also.
You know, just watch if somebody injury or not. And then now you call to guys to say he's injury and he can be retired or he can losing today match, and then guys now are putting this money.
That's what's is only problem, is disappointing of this reason. You can't gambling. You can't betting for every money if you just know who win, who lose. But sometimes people watching you, you know, and just see how you feeling or like asking doctor or, you know, like that's was reason.
Sometimes it's not so great, you know, this is bad reason for gambling. You're thinking like 99% he's retired or he losing, try to betting how much you can, sell all your houses and everything, you know, to win some money. That's was only this reason is not so great.

Q. That's what you feel happened in Poland?
NIKOLAY DAVYDENKO: Yeah. I think it's somebody, you know, like know I was injury and I feeling not so good. Next week you have bigger tournament, you know, and this reason I can retired or you can lose match and then, you know, get information for, I don't know, everyone to give it.

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